Freeze Warnings Posted For Acadiana Through Saturday

The cold wet dreary weather South Louisiana has been experiencing the past couple of days is about to start looking better but feeling colder. A reinforcing shot of even colder air is expected to make its way into the region during the day today.

When that colder air is combined with clearing skies it should allow the atmosphere to cool to the freezing mark or below in many places across Acadiana. Therefore, the National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for parishes along I-10 including Lafayette, Acadiana, Jeff Davis, St. Martin, and Calcasieu.

There is a Hard Freeze Warning for parishes along and north of the U.S. Highway 190 corridor.That includes St. Landry, Allen, Evangeline, Beauregard, Avoyelles, Rapides, and Vernon.

What's the difference between a Freeze Warning and a Hard Freeze Warning? Here is how the National Weather Service defines the two:

A Freeze Warning means sub-freezing temperatures are imminent or
highly likely. These conditions will kill crops and other
sensitive vegetation.
A Hard Freeze Warning means sub-freezing temperatures are
imminent or highly likely. These conditions will kill crops and
other sensitive vegetation.

Wait, those two definitions say the same thing? Ain't that just like the government?

For the regular freeze warning that means the temperature will only be at or below 32 degrees for a short while. The hard freeze means that temperatures will be at or well below freezing for several hours. This is where the real damage comes to plants and pipes.

The good news in all of this is that the falling precipitation should be ending this morning about the time the temperature hits the freezing mark. Still, surfaces like bridge floors and elevated roadways could see some icing until the mid-morning hours. Travelers are urged to use extra caution in their travels this morning.